Rod weeder



Nv. 1, 1938. l c. F. rsLooMl ROD WEEDER Filed sept. 29, 1957 Nov. 1 1938.

c. F. BLo'oM I ROD WEEDER Filed Sept. 29, 1957 Z Sheets-Shea?I 2 ILLLlkt Patented Nov. 1, 1938 REISSUED PATENT OFFICE ROD WEEDER Charles F. Bloom, Vancouver, Wash.

Application September 29, 1937, Serial No. 166,401

8 Claims.

My invention relates to rod Weeders, and is particularly related to the mechanism for driving the rod.

The primary object of the invention is to encase all driving parts within housings that will not gather foreign matter such as Weeds, etc., while the machine is in operation.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate universal joints and moving parts that would be exposed to the dirt and dust associated with the operation of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to encase all working parts wthin a grease filled housing.

And a still further object of the invention is to permit free and independent movement of the driving mechanism relative to the frame of the machine.

In the operation of rod weeders a great deal of foreign matter, such as weeds, dirt, vines, and dust are encountered and it has been my experience that machines having open parts, as chains and gears, give a great deal of trouble due to this foreign matter, therefore I have employed a flexible cable drive from a driving mechanism entirely encased, so that no foreign matter will be tangled therein.

rEhe cable is so arranged in connection with my mechanism that weeds andvines, due to the direction of rotation and weave of the cable will not become entangled thereabout. I have also found that the driving mechanism for driving the rod should work independent and freely of the frame of the machine, so that uneven surfaces will not affect the depth of the rod.

In my new and improved rod weeder I find that placing the transit wheels behind the frame of th machine is most desirable.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of my new and improved drive for rod Weeders.

Figure 2 is a front sectional view, taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated, parts broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 4 is a plan view of another preferred form of embodiment of a drive Wheel hook-up.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary front View of the drive wheel mechanism shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail view, partially in section, illustrating how the cable floats within the drive gear.

In the drawings:

I is the frame of the Weeder having goose-necks 2 secured underneath and rigidly thereto. weeder rod 3 is journaled within the shoes 3A, and bearing surfaces 3B provide bearings within the shoes 3A. A floating drive wheel 4 having a spindle 6 secured to the Wheel by flange 'I is mounted to the housing 8 within bearings 9 and retained thereto by the flange I, which is secured to the end of the shaft 6 by cap screw IIIA. Thehousing 8 is mounted to the frame I indirectly through the upright bar I I. The bar I I contacts the rollers I2, I3, I4, I5 and I6, said rollers hold the bar il in a vertical position and permit the bar to work freely up and down between said rollers. The operation of the bar between these rollers is an important feature of this invention as I have found that the free operation vertically of the driving wheel vdepends upon free movement of the bar Ii within the above described guide rollers.

Referring to Figure 8, the rollers I5 and I6 are so positioned as to take the backward strain of the driving wheel Il when the frame is moved towards the left. The shoulders ISA and I'I that support the spindles of the rollers I2 and I4 provide a .guide for the bar II in the opposite direction as there are no strain or stress in this direction. A beveled driving gear I8 is fixedly secured to the shaft or spindle Ii and drives the driven beveled gear i9, having hub freely revolving within the bearing 20A. 'I'he cable 2I is xedly secured within the housing 20 at its one end and is securely mounted to the rod 3 at 22. The cable 2l therefore provides a flexible drive between the rod 3 and the gear I9.

In the operation of this drive as the drive Wheel 4 contacts uneven surfaces it is permitted to work up and down freely with reference to the frame of the weeder driving the rod 3 through the gears I8, I9 and'ilexible shaft 2|.. All gears run within a closed housing 8 within a bath of oil.

It will be noted that the housing 8 is protected by the rim 4A of the driving Wheel 4 thus preventing the entanglement of foreign matter about this mechanism. In operation this is a very imnortant feature.

Referring to Figure 4, I show the upright bar I I connected to the main frame I by four parallel connecting links 26 permitting the wheel 4 to float up and down over uneven surfaces relative tothe Weeder. These parallel bars are anchored to theframe I by the adjustable brackets secured to the frame by fastening bolts 2l. These brackets are adjustable relative to the frame. One end of the parallel bars is pivotally mounted to the brackets 25 at 28, suitable shoulder spacers being used to permit free movement of the bars. 'I'he opposite end of the parallel bars is pivotally mounted to the upright bar at 29 VVand are clamped thereto with shoulder spacersfpermitting free movement of' the bars.

Y Thisrparallelbanmovement is a Well known prinparallel bars work up and down over the ground surfaces. `A retainingwasher or cap 32 prevents the nut 30 from coming out of the hub 20, this cap is held in place by cap screws 33. Supporting wheels for' supporting the rod vWeeder may be used for certain type of Work, I haveY shown their'. relative positions by dotted lines.

I do not wish to be limited to this particular form ofembodiment as other mechanical combinations could be used stillY coming Within the scope of the claims to follow.

What is claimedto be new is:

1. A rod we`eder including a'frame, a weeding lrod mounted for rotation in the frame, a ground supporting Wheel, a connection between the wheel and frame permitting relatively free vertical play` of the wheel relative to the frame, and weeder -rod driving means actuated by a ground wheel and vconnected to the 'weeder rod, said driving means including an appropriate Ylength of flexible shafting, said ilexible shafting having limited free longitudinal play with respect to the wheel driving mechanism:

`2. A rod weeder including a frame, a. weeding rod rotatably mounted in the frame, a ground wheel for the frame, a connection intermediate thewheel and frame to permit relative vertical play of the wheel with respect to the frame, gearing operated Vby aground Wheel, and a flexible shaft operatedby theYV gearing and connected to the weeder rod, the flexible shaft being mounted ,for limited free longitudinal play with respect to the gearing.

3. A Weeder rod driving means including a ground wheel having an annular rim, a housing supported Within the rim, gearing arranged in said housing, and a flexible drive element having limited longitudinal play with respect to one of the gears and extended beyond the gears for connection to aweeder rod.

4. A rod Weeder including a frame, a weederrod mounted for rotation in the frame, a ground wheel including an axle,`a housing, supported on the axle, gearing Within `the housing and driven by the axle, a exible shaft connected to one of said gearing .andV extending through and con- 4 the axle, gearing within the housing and driven by the axle, a flexible shaft connectedfor limited free longitudinal play to oneof said gearing and extending through andV connected to the weeder rod, and members extending from the housing and connected with the frame to permit limited free vertical movement of theground wheel with respect to the frame. v,

6. A construction as defined inclaim 4, Wherein the members include a vertical bar and a housing on the frame through which the barv is arranged to slide, and'rneans within the frame housing for guiding the bar during and reducing the friction of Vits movement. v

7. A construction as d ened in claim 4, wherein the members include a bar connected to the housing, a second housing connected .to the frame through which latter housing the bar extends, rollers in the second housing for guiding the bar in movement, and vmeans in the second ment to the housing and at the opposite end for pivotal movement to the frame.

CHARLES F. BLOOM. 

